The Portland daily press., 1887-07-02
YALE WINS.
a Brilliant Contest Between the Uni
versity Crews.
New Haven's Long Stroke Too Much
for Cambridge.
Harvard Beaten by Five and One
Half Lengths.

NEW LONDON, Conn.,, July 1.-The twelfth
annual four mile straight away race between
the eight-oared crews representing Yale and
Harvard was rowed this evening over the
Thames River course from Yale's Ferry to
Winthrop Point, and won by Yale by FIVE
and a half lengths. Official time-Yale, % m.
Sc sec. Harvard, % IN. 10 sec. The attend
ance was unprecedented. Thursday night
the hotels and boarding houses were filed,
and every train and steamboat brought large
delegations. Every train from New Haven
was crowded. An excursion train late in the
afternoon brought over twenty-0ne carloads,
besides which large crowd came over on
the steamer Elm City. Trains from the East
and down the New London Northern also
brought large crowds. The scenes along the
course from the start to the finish were very
striking. The observation train contained
twenty. four well packed cars. The grand
steamers City of New York, Block Island
and Elm City took large crowds up the
river. Thirtyseight large steamers and
schooner yachts, besides innumerable smaller
crafts, anchored along the last mile of the
course. The crowd who saw the race was
estimated at 1900. The water was in excel
lent condition, nearly slack and ruffied only
by slight westerly breeze blowing across
the course.
At 707 the referee signalled for the crews.
and at I'll Harvard pushed OIL from her float
and padded over towards the starting point.
Yale was late and did not leave their float
until 7.18 Both crews padded to the refer
ees boat aud were given their final inStruc-
tions, after which they backed into position,
Yale having the west and Harvard the east
course. This was Yale's vantage point, but
it proved of little real benefit. At 725 the
word was given, both crews catching the
water very quickly, Harvard gaining a slight
advantage. Both crews started at 36 stroke,
but after the first stroke dropped to 80 and
a., Harvard gradually drew away from
mile led by half a, length. Both
crews were pulling in perfect form,
and the excitement was intense. Yale's
powerful stroke, however, soon sent her
shell up inch by inch until at the half mile
flag both boats, looking from the press boat,
were bow and bow, though the official timer
gives Harvard lead Of two seconds. Har-
wards time here was 2.54 and Yale 2.56. Both
crews were pulling in fine form, the body
and oar movement of each crew being as one
man. Just after passing the half mile flag
Yale dropped her stroke to 81, Harvard pull
ing "a and 50. The exhibition Of rowing in
this half, (the second was very fine. Both
crews were putting in their best efforts, but
Yale's slow stroke proved more effective and
her boat crept slowly to the front, and as
they passed the mile in 500 and 5.23, Yale
was Just showing clear water ahead of Har-
wards boat. The second half mile was the
fastest of the race, Yale doing it in 2.24 and
Harvard in 2,29. All through the third half
Yale kept her stroke down to 80 and 80,
while Harvard was pulling IA and 80
As they neared the navy yard, Yale began TO
forge ahead, and showed twenty feet of clear
water between the boats. Up to this point
the race had been one of the most h0tly con-
tested ever rowed between crews from these
two colleges Oh the navy yard Harvard
spurted and made grand effort to close the
gap. but Yale responded nobly, and at the
two mile flag had increased her lead to a
length and half, passing that point in IL .094,
was practically settled. Yale was pulling in
excellent form, her powerful stroke sending
the boat along at rafting gait. Harvard
was also pulling in good form, but her
stroke seemed to have lost its effectiveness.
In the fifth half, Yale gained five seconds,
and having the race well in hand dropped
her stroke to so and 81, Harvard rowing 80
to "a. In the sixth half, Yale made an addi-
tional gain of seven and one-half seconds
and passed the three-mile flag in 14.14, with
a lead of four lengths, Harvard's time
being 1923. 1t began to look
like procession, especially as in the seventh
half Yale added the fifth length to her credit
doing the half in 2.51a to Harvard's 2.541 and
passing the 81 mile flag in 20 minutes to Har-
wards 20l91. In the last half mile Harvard
made "a desperate effort to lessen Yale's lead,
but it was of little avail. Yale maintained
her slow, swinging stroke.paying very little
attentiont0 what Harvard was doing and
dashed across the finishing line in 2256, an
easy winner by four or five lengths, Har-
wards time was 23.101.
When the Yale men stopped rowing. Gill.
who pulled No. 2, fell back in his seat ex-
hausted, being overcome by the strain and
excitement.
After the race the Yale crew returned to
New Haven to celebrate, while the Harvard
men in town kept very quiet. The Yale
crew were taken to the Pequot house and
given a supper. Betting was unusually
heavy, over $1,000 being held by the Crockel
House proprietors, and enough outside bets
were made to carry the amount oyer $4,000.
The Harvard men who backed the crew on
the strength of the phenomenal .time made
Monday afternoon, when they had the bene-
fit of three foot freshet were very badly
bitten.
New HAVEN, Conn, July 2.-Neyer
since the foundation of Yale col
lege has there occurred such celebration
the city tonight. The news Of Yale's victory
reached here at 7.50, and in less than ten
minutes the town was ablaze with fireworks
| the college chapel and church bells were
ringing and the whole town was wild with
excitement. President Dwight threw his ha
in the air and waved his cane with deligh
when he heard the news. The victorious
crew arrived at 11.30 o'clock, and were lifted
to the top of a tally-hO coach which their en-
thusiastic associates had provided Headed
by band and several thousand people the
crew was driven to the campus where larg,
fires were kindled and fireworks discharged
until morning. During the tour of the pro
cession President Dwight was serenaded aDt
notwithstanding the lateness of the hour ap
peared and congratulated the crew in ter
minute speech.